ATC Connections Past and Present
The 2025 Retreat Program got underway last week with our Year 10 and Year 4 students leading the way.
Our Year 10s enjoyed their work with master teacher and facilitator, Mr Michael Fitzpatrick who has been leading processes across Catholic schools in Brisbane for the past forty years. I imagine some of our ATC parents attended retreat programs with Mr Fitzpatrick!
On Friday, it was a delight to see the unbridled enthusiasm of our Year 4 boys engaging in their program with a variety of our staff led by Mrs Kate Garrone, our new Dean of Faith and Mission. A favourite activity is the “treasure hunt” of places, names and symbols throughout the College.
Our scoped and sequenced Retreat Program culminates in the wonderful Year 12 Claddagh experience for Year 12 in Week 6 this term.
Past Students vs Firsts Volleyball
It was a pleasure to attend this friendly grudge match on Saturday with the oldest player on deck in his 24th year as a member of our first Senior group in 2019.
Congratulations to our Past Students, a talented and experienced group, who took out the Walker Challenge on the day in a hotly contested match with one set going to 40-38.
It was great to see so many current students and parents there, passionately led by our Year 12 group and the camaraderie and friendship between our past and current students.
Empowerment Week
This week, a part of our focus on College Assembly and in Formation lessons is a reflection on the story of children impacted by war and conflict. We are blessed by our relative safety and peacefulness in our country and all of us can perhaps sometimes lose some perspective of that. On Tuesday, we welcome a special guest to the College to speak with us as a Mother of children impacted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This is such a complex issue from all of the different historical, religious, political and cultural perspectives but there is a key issue regardless of perspective or identity and it is the safety and dignity of the child and our compassion and concern for them. Our guest, a Palestinian Mum, will break that open for our students and staff for our reflection.
Kick off Cocktails.
Thank you to the ATC Parents and Friends for their hosting of our annual welcome event held on Saturday evening. It was great to gather a crowd of almost 300 parents and caregivers to usher in the new year.
Thank you to everyone who helped and came along to make Saturday night a most enjoyable occasion, especially Catherine Jackson of the P and F executive for her leadership, George Patrikios, President of the P and F for his support and Sasha and John Tucker for all of their work in setting up the evening and the extended P and F band of volunteers and supporters; thank you one and all.
I also wish to thank our sponsors of the raffles for the evening-it is an enjoyable task announcing the lucky winner of a term’s fees -congratulations to the Newell family who are new to the College which is lovely.
Our partnership with families is a key component of the ATC community and I look forward to other community gatherings throughout the year.
Inclusive Practices Community Connect
Our Inclusive Practices Team hosted the first of the Parent and Caregiver Community Connect evenings for the year last week with a great group of over 100 in attendance. Thank you for partnering with us in this important and vibrant part of College life.
Camp Week
There is a hum in the air as the College readies ourselves for next week’s Camp Week 2025.
The breadth and depth of our camp programs, the creativity of our partnerships and the scope and sequence of the experiences on offer are impressive. Across the entire program, from school based, to our Year 6 journey to Canberra to our Year 12 fellows engaging in the rich experience that is our Claddagh program, there is an exemplary effort made to provide challenge, diversity, inclusivity and opportunity for learning about self, each other and elements of the broader world.
On behalf of the extended ATC community, I wish to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity and commitment of our entire staff who make this week possible. This is a very special element of an Ambrose Treacy College formation experience and the contribution of our staff, with the support of their own families, is a blessing to our community and in my experience, certainly unique. I thank our staff most sincerely.
The undertaking of this week long program which engages all year levels bar Year 11 who enjoy a Leadership Camp and Retreat later in the year is huge as we have grown to full size.
Thank you and congratulations to Mr Jason Sepetauc and Mrs Georgie Ingham-Myers for their leadership, oversight and co-ordination and to all staff who are leaders and facilitators of particular programs. Thank you to our parent and care-giver body for your partnership with us and faith in us as we facilitate these programs. I wish all of our students a wonderful week which is safe, enjoyable and rewarding.
Community Prayers
We join the global Catholic community in praying for Pope Francis and his health journey.
Lord, we pray for those in our community who are suffering. Be with them in this time of hardship and uncertainty. Give comfort and peace to those who have lost loved ones. May their sorrow be turned into strength, and their distress turned into peace. May our hearts remain loving and pure as we seek to always be compassionate to those around us.
God Bless.
Chris Ryan, College Principal
